Compound traverse conveyor for pattern feeding



July 26, 1960 R. E. HAGEN ETAL COMPOUND TRAVERSE CONVEYOR FOR PATTERN FEEDING 2 LA y 5 1 N m Ni n m E A U M wmmfi w I I m IHHHHI I fiHHIM I W I HW MW HM W H IW WW 3 II n n N NN\\ 7 m M y M. d m m July 1969 R. E. HAGEN EI'AL 2,946,468

COMPOUND TRAVERSE CONVEYOR FOR PATTERN FEEDING Filed May 14, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 MNZM 0 MM m ump W m .%N WWW M w w .Hx $2 July 26, 1969 R. E. HAGEN ET AL COMPOUND TRAVERSE CONVEYOR FOR PATTERN FEEDING Filed May 14, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 v 5 s mmzm M TEE m NAP m a m5 0 m T 5 45 r a 0 we m Y A B x A IIIIII u u iinited States Patent i COMPOUND TRAVERSE CONVEYOR FOR PA'ITERN FEEDING Robert E. Hagen, Butler, Pa., and Roger D. Lopez and George H. Sundin, Duluth, Minn., assignors to United States Steel Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey Filed May 14, 1957, Ser. No. 659,071

12 Claims. (Cl. 214-18) This invention relates to an improved apparatus for feeding materials to the top of an open shaft.

Our apparatus is especially adapted for feeding freshly formed balls of finely divided iron-bearing concentrate from a balling device to a shaft-type indurating furnace.

' Such balls are formed by rolling moist fines together in a drum or disk, and may include a binder and particles of solid carbonaceous fuel, as well as iron-bearing particles. Initially they possess little mechanical strength and hence cannot withstand rough handling. For a shaft furnace to operate properly, the balls must be distributed across its full cross section. For this reason the discharge of the feeding apparatus traverses the top of the furnace in a regular pattern and lays down a bed of balls thereover with a minimum distance of dropping. Our apparatus is a specific improvement over the two forms of such apparatus shown in Davis Patent No. 2,757,782, dated August 7, 1956, to which reference can be made for a more detailed discussion of the problems involved in this operation. Nevertheless the invention is not limited to this specific application, but may be used else- 'where where similar problems are encountered.

In common with the feeding apparatus shown in the Davis patent, our apparatus includes a pair of pivotally related conveyor belts. Material, such as freshly formed balls, discharges from a source, such as a balling device, to the first conveyor and thence to the second. The conveyors are equipped with a traversing drive which swings them about their pivots in such a way that the discharge end of the second conveyor traverses the top of the shaft to lay the material down over the full cross section.

An object of our invention is to provide an improved feeding apparatus which both embodies a simplified driving mechanism and affords more positive support for the conveyors.

A further object is to provide an improved feeding apparatus in which the final conveyor is positively supported on carriages movable in two straight lines at right angles to each other, and said carriages have individual reversible direct drive means, thereby overcoming the needs for curvilinear tracks and intricate controls.

A further object is to provide an improved feeding apparatus in which the discharge end of the final conveyor is positively supported on traversing carriages and an extensible beam, travel of said carriages being individually controlled and of a magnitude substantially equivalent to that of the discharge end of the final conveyor.

Another object is to provide an improved feeding apparatus embodying pivotally related conveyors in which the pivot between conveyors is shiftable for feeding material to the second conveyor on its center line despite variations in the trajectory of material discharging from the first conveyor caused, for example, by variations in conveyor speed.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, we have provided improved details of structure, a preferred form of which is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view with parts broken away of a feeding apparatus constructed in accordance with our invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the apparatus;

Figure 3 is an end elevational view of the apparatus;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary horizontal section on a larger scale taken on line IV-IV of Figure 2; and

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic plan view showing the relative positions of the conveyors as they traverse the feeding pattern. I

In brief, our feeding apparatus transports material from a source 10 to an open shaft 12, where it distributes the material in a regular pattern, such as the rectangular pattern indicated in Figures 1 and 5. Essentially our apparatus comprises a first conveyor belt 13, a final conveyor belt 14, and a novel traversing drive. The first belt receives material from the source 10 and is supported to swing on a fixed vertical axis located beneath this source. The final belt receives material from the first and is supported to swing on a movable vertical axis located just beyond the discharge end of the first. Our traversing drive is pivotally connected to the frame for the final belt near its discharge end and provides positive support for the belts. This drive swings the two belts about their respective pivots in such a way that the discharge end of the final belt describes the selected feed pattern over the shaft.

'In more detail, our apparatus comprises a straight horizontal trackway 15 located alongside shaft 12. A

horizontal plate 16 is fixed to the left end of the trackway and carries a lower pivot bearing 17, an upright gusset 18, and a sloping brace 19. An upper pivot bearing 20 is fixed to the upper ends of the gusset and brace in vertical alignment with bearing 17. A tubular vertical shaft 21 is journaled at its ends to said bearings and carries a horizontally extending radial boom 22 and diagonal bracing 23. The upper face of boom 22 carries an upstanding support 24 which terminates short of the free end of the boom. A frame 25 for the first conveyor belt 13 is fixed to the top of support 24 overhanging both ends of the support and spaced a substantial distance above the boom. Driven and idler pulleys 26 and 27, over which the belt runs, are journaled to opposite ends of frame 25. The drive means for pulley 26 includes a motor 28 mounted on one side of the frame and a chain and sprocket mechanism 29 connected to the pulley and, through a suitable speed reducer, to the motor.

A carriage 33 is supported on trackway 15 for longitudinal travel therealong. A transversely elongated base 34 is fixed to said carriage and carries a longitudinal drive block 35. A motor base 36 is fixed to the right end portion of trackway 15 remote from plate 16 and carries a reversible electric carriage drive motor 37 and a bearing 38. A longitudinal drive screw 39 is journaled in said bearing and threadedly engaged with drive block 35. A belt and pulley mechanism 40 connects motor 37 with the drive screw. Thus the motor can propel the carriage along the trackway in either longitudinal direction depending on which way it is energized.

As best shown in Figure 3, base 34 also carries transversely spaced front and back posts 41 and 42, an upright pedestal 43 outside the front post, and a motor pedestal 44 alongside pedestal 43. The upper ends of the posts support a straight transverse rail 45 on which is mounted a transversely movable carriage 46. A transverse drive block 47 is mounted on the upper portion of said carriage. A transverse drive screw 48 is journaled in a hearing 49 at the top of pedestal 43 and threadedly engaged with block 47. A reversible drive motor 50 is mounted on the motor pedestal 44 and connected to the drive screw 48 through a belt and pulley mechanism 51 (Figure 2). Thus the latter motor can propel carriage 46 along rail 45in either transverse direction depending on which way it is energized.

Carriage 46 carries a rearwardly projecting extensible beam 52, the free end of which carries an upright 53 pivoted thereto on a vertical axis. One end of a frame 54. for the final conveyor belt 14 is mounted on said upright and positively supported thereby. The other end of frame 54 is pivotally supported onthe free end of boom 22 in the space beneath the overhang of frame 25 for the first conveyor belt 13. Driven and idler pulleys 55 and 56, over which belt 14 runs, are journaled to opposite ends of frame 54. The drive means for pulley 55 includes a motor 57 mounted on one side of the frame and a chain and sprocket mechanism 58 connected to the pulley and, through a suitable speed reducer, to the motor.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the carrying flight of the final conveyor belt 14-is at a lower height than that of the first belt 13. The discharge end of belt 13 is situated over belt 14, which desirably receives material over its longitudinal center line. Since the trajectory of material discharging from belt 13 changes with different belt speeds or weights of material, the position of the pivotal axis of belt 14 preferably is adjustable so that it always may receive material in the desired location. The adjustable pivot includes a worm gear 62 journaled to the top of boom 22. This worm gear carries an upstanding eccentric crank pin '63, which is pivoted to the bottom of frame 54 to provide support therefor. A horizontal spindle 64 is journaled in bearings 65 on the upper face of the boom and a bearing 66 on the exterior of shaft 21. One end of the spindle carries a worm 67 which engages the worm gear '62, and the other end carries an operating crank 68. Preferably an indicator dial 69 in the form of a worm gear is journaled to the support 24 and is operated by a worm 70 on spindle 641 Thus rotation of spindle 64 shifts the position of crank pin 63, which constitutes the movable pivotal mounting of the final conveyor belt 14, and dial 69 indicates the position to which the crank pin is shifted.

When motor 37 is operated to drive carriage 33, the discharge end of the final conveyor belt 14 moves longitudinally of shaft 12. When motor 50 is operated to drive carriage 46, the discharge end of belt 14 moves transversely of shaft 12. During either movement the conveyor frames 25 and S4 swing about their pivotal mountings and the feed end of the first conveyor belt 13 remains under the source 10. Figure 5 shows the relation between the two conveyors as they traverse a rectangular feed pattern over shaft 12. By properly relating the timing and direction of energization of motors 37 and 50, any desired feed pattern can be attained. It is seen that our apparatus is readily adapted to automatic operation by installation of suitable limit switches for controlling the motors and defining the feeding pattern. Since the distance via the belts from the feed end of the first to the discharge end of the second remains constant, both belts can be driven at a constant rate through their motors 28 and 57.

It is seen that both carriages 33 and 46 travel only in straight lines along straight tracks, and both are driven through simple direct drives which involve only motordriven screws and cooperating blocks. Thus we avoid the need for more complex curvilinear tracks and complex drive linkages. We also provide a positive support for the discharge end of the final conveyor and avoid any long overhang.

While we have shown and described only a single embodiment of the invention, it is apparent that modifications may arise. Therefore, we do not wish to be limited to the disclosure set forth but only by the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In an apparatus for feeding material from a source to an open shaft, which apparatus includes a first conveyor supported to receive material from the source and to swing on a vertical axis beneath the source, and a final conveyor supported to receive material from the first and to swing on a movable vertical axis near the discharge end of the first and having its own discharge end located over the shaft, the combination with said conveyors of a traversing drive for moving the discharge end of said final conveyor over the shaft in a selected feeding pattern comprising a first driven means movable in a straight line, a second driven means supported on said first driven means and movable relative thereto in a straight line at right angles to the direction of movement of the first driven means, and means pivotally connecting said second driven means to said final conveyor.

2. A combination as defined in claim 1 in which said connecting means is connected to said final conveyor adjacent its discharge end and provides positive support for the final conveyor.

3. In an apparatus for feeding material from a source to an open shaft, which apparatus includes a first conveyor supported to receive material from the source and to swing on a vertical axis beneath the source, and a final conveyor supported to receive material from the first and to swing on a movable vertical axis near the discharge end of the first and having its own discharge end located over the shaft, the combination with said conveyors of a traversing device for moving the discharge end of said final conveyor over the shaft in a selected feeding pattern comprising a first carriage supported for straight line movement alongside said shaft, a second carriage supported on said first carriage for straight line movement relative thereto at right angles to movement of the first, reversible drive means for said carriages, and means pivotally connecting said second carriage to said final conveyor.

4. A combination as defined in claim 3 in which said connecting means is connected to said final conveyor adiacent its discharge end and provides positive support for the final conveyor.

5. A combination as defined in claim 3 including means for shifting the position of said movable vertical axis to locate the longitudinal center line of said final conveyor under the trajectory of material discharged from the first.

6. A combination as defined in claim 3 wherein the drive means for the first carriage includes a screw journaled beyond the end of the first carriage, a drive block fixed to said first carriage and engaged by said screw, and a selectively operable reversible motor operatively connected with said screw.

7. A combination as defined in claim 3 wherein the drive means for the second carriage includes a screw journaled to said first carriage, a drive block fixed to said second carriage and engaged by said screw, and a selectively operable reversible motor on said first carriage operatively connected with said screw.

8. In an apparatus for feeding material from a source to an open shaft, which apparatus includes a first conveyor supported to receive material from the source and to swing on a vertical axis beneath the source, and a final conveyor supported to receive material from the first and to swing on a movable vertical axis near the discharge end of the first and having its own discharge end located over the shaft, the combination with said conveyors of a traversing drive for moving the discharge end of said final conveyor over the shaft in a selected feeding pattern comprising a first straight trackway alongside said shaft, a first carriage supported on said first trackway for straight line movement, a second straight trackway supported on said first carriage and extending at right angles to said first trackway, a second carriage supported on said second trackway for straight line movement, individual reversible drive means for said carriages, and means pivotally connecting said second carriage to said final conveyor.

9. A combination as defined in claim 8 in which said connecting means is connected to said final conveyor adjacent its discharge end and provides positive support for the final conveyor.

10. An apparatus for feeding material from a source to an open shaft comprising a boom supported for pivotal movement on a vertical axis beneath the source, a first conoveyor supported on said boom for movement therewith and adapted to receive material from the source, a first carriage supported for straight line move ment, a second carriage supported by said first carriage for movement relative thereto in a straight line at right angles to the direction of movement of the first carriage, reversible individual drive means for said carriages, and a final conveyor pivotally connected adjacent its ends to said boom and to said second carriage and adapted to receive material from said first conveyor and discharge it to the shaft, said carriages and their drive means constituting a traversing drive for moving the discharge 6 end of said final conveyor in a selected feeding pattern over the shaft.

11. An apparatus as defined in claim 10 including means mounted on said boom for shifting the position References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 855,425 Arden May 28, 1907 1,266,475 Hunt May 14, 1918 2,757,782 Davis Aug. 7, 1956 

